A vehicle may be started when an operator follows a prescribed sequence of actions. For example, a vehicle may be started after a driver applies a brake pedal and rotates a key switch while the vehicle's transmission is engaged in park or neutral. Operation of the key switch and brake pedal confirm may be used to confirm that the operator is in the vehicle so that an unauthorized operator may not be able to start the vehicle. One additional way to confirm that an authorized operator is within the vehicle is for the vehicle to sense whether or not a key fob or security token is within the vehicle's passenger cabin before the driver rotates the key or presses a start button. A driver may wish to reduce complexity of a vehicle starting sequence, but eliminating steps in the vehicle starting sequence may lower confidence that the vehicle is being started for a the intended operator. Therefore, it may be desirable to reduce complexity of a vehicle's starting sequence while maintaining or improving confidence that the vehicle is being appropriately started.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned disadvantages and have developed a method for enabling vehicle propulsion, comprising: enabling propulsion of a vehicle after propulsion of the vehicle is deactivated in response to confirming presence of a driver via a polling device, confirming more than a threshold force is applied to a brake pedal, and shifting the vehicle from park or neutral into a forward or reverse propulsion mode.
By enabling propulsion of a vehicle in response to confirming presence of a driver, confirming a threshold force is applied to a brake pedal, and shifting the vehicle from park or neutral into a forward or reverse propulsion mode, it may be possible to provide the technical result of simplifying vehicle activation. In particular, rotation of a key switch or application of a pushbutton start may be omitted while still activating a vehicle for a confirmed operator. Thus, a step in the vehicle activation sequence that was customarily used to engage a starter may be eliminated. The operation of engaging a transmission may be the basis for activating vehicle propulsion. In this way, shifting the transmission may be a basis for entering a forward of reverse propulsion mode and activating the source or sources of propulsion force instead of activating propulsion via a device that only acts to enable propulsion, whereas according to the present method propulsion and transmission operating range is performed at least partially responsive to shifting.
The present description may provide several advantages. Namely, the approach may reduce a driver's perception of vehicle starting complexity. Further, the approach may be applied to both conventional and hybrid vehicles. Further still, the approach may be applied to vehicles that include automatic or manual transmissions.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.